The idea for Terra Ignota came to me years ago as I was admiring a reproduction of “Amerique Septentrionale,” a 1650 map by French cartographer Nicolas Sanson, given to me by my parents. The handlettering has a sort of rakish character, evocative of pirates or adventurers at a time of unbridled world exploration. I ended up putting the project aside, but the idea to create this font tugged gently at my mind until I simply couldn't ignore it any longer. The result of my labors has an italic slant and a deliberate feel, in keeping with its historical roots. Terra Ignota comes with true small caps, numerous ligatures, both lining and old-style figures, a few cartographic ornaments, and complete Central/Eastern European alphabets—more than 800 glyphs in all.
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